‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Esmé Bianco Sues Marilyn Manson for Sexual Assault

Warning: This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault. 

Esmé Bianco, the British actress best known for playing Ros on HBO’s Game of Thrones, has filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson accusing him of sexual assault and sexual battery, as TMZ and Pitchfork report.

Bianco first came forward as an abuse survivor when she testified in front of the California Assembly in 2019 but did not name her abuser at the time. After Evan Rachel Wood publicly accused Manson of abuse earlier this year, Bianco described similar experiences in an interview with The Cut published February 2021, calling him a “serial predator” and a “monster who almost destroyed me and almost destroyed so many women.” The lawsuit details a lot of the same allegations, and also claims that Manson – born Brian Hugh Warner – and his former manager, Tony Ciulla, violated human trafficking laws by bringing Bianco from London to Los Angeles under the pretense of her appearing in one of Manson’s film projects, which was ultimately shelved.

“Mr. Warner used drugs, force, and threats of force to coerce sexual acts from Ms. Bianco on multiple occasions,” according to the suit, which goes on to claim that “Mr. Warner raped Ms. Bianco in or around May 2011″ and that Manson’s acts included “spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping Ms. Bianco’s buttocks, breasts, and genitals for Mr. Warner’s sexual gratification — all without the consent of Plaintiff.” She also said that Manson once chased her around the house with an ax; another time, according to the documents, he allegedly cut her with a Nazi knife during sex.

Bianco also names Tony Ciulla and Ciulla Management as co-defendants in the lawsuit, alleging that Manson’s former manager was aware of his abusive behavior. “Mr. Warner’s management had a vested interest in supporting his violent tendencies to encourage the creation of his ‘art’ and the promotion of the brand of Marilyn Manson, and were complicit in Mr. Warner’s abuse of Ms. Bianco,” the lawsuit states. Ciulla parted ways with Manson earlier this year.

“For far too long, my abuser has been left unchecked, enabled by money, fame and an industry that turned a blind eye,” Bianco said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Despite the numerous brave women who have spoken out against Marilyn Manson, countless survivors remain silenced, and some of their voices will never be heard. My hope is that by raising mine, I will help to stop Brian Warner from shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”

Manson’s attorney, Howard E. King, responded to the lawsuit in a statement, saying: “These claims are provably false. To be clear, this suit was only filed after my client refused to be shaken down by Ms. Bianco and her lawyer and give in to their outrageous financial demands based on conduct that simply never occurred. We will vigorously contest these allegations in court and are confident that we will prevail.”

Ciulla’s lawyer, Edwin McPherson, added: “This attempt to involve Ciulla Management in this action is not only legally meritless but also offensive and absurd. We look forward to formally contesting these completely frivolous allegations.”

In February, Manson denied the numerous allegations made against him, calling them “horrible distortions of reality.” He continued, “My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.” He was subsequently dropped by his record label, Loma Vista, and was removed from various TV episodes.